One in a collection by Allen Bachoroski,
Local Historical Writer,
Tales Along the
Highway of Legends
Note: This
is one in a series of historical stories about local families
in the Trinidad region.
Click here to find out more
about how these stories were collected.
The search for a better life led Charles John Barrack
from Zahle, Lebanon to the United States in the year 1885.
Charles was the youngest of eight children. He had six
brothers and one sister. His older brothers financed Charles'
trip to America with the understanding that he would bring
his nephews to this country - which he did.
Charles first settled in Springfield, Illinois, but soon
moved to Spokane, Washington, where he married Miriam
Skaff in 1890. He operated a tobacco shop there for several
years. In 1892 Charles and Miriam had a son, Murphy Charles
Barrack, and, soon afterward, a daughter, Sophie, who
later married William Azar. Having heard of the booming
coal fields in Southern Colorado, Charles moved his young
family to Las Animas County in 1894 where many of his
descendants still live.
Upon arriving in Las Animas County Charles opened a general
merchandise store. He visited all the mining camps in
the region - traveling on foot and by horse and buggy
in order to sell his merchandise. He eventually opened
a grocery store in Segundo. The store was successful,
but during the labor unrest in the county in the early
l900's the building was destroyed by a bomb planted by
a strike breaker because Charles had been extending credit
to assist the striking miners.
After his store in Segundo had been destroyed Charles
started over again. He moved his family to Trinidad in
1910. He built a two story building at 115 Elm Street
to house his grocery store. The second floor of the building
was a "motel" where people who came from up
the river to purchase supplies could spend the night before
returning home.
It was during this period that Lizzie Barrack, Charles
sister, joined the family and became well known for her
fine linens. She would take her wares and walk throughout
the Purgatory River Valley selling them. Many of the linens
she sold survive to this day and people still tell Charles'
descendants that "Lizzie Barrack sold these to me."
Murphy Charles Barrack had joined his father in business
by this time and in 1915 Murphy married Sophie Hathoot
in Omaha, Nebraska. They were blessed with five children
- Roger (Las Vegas, Nevada), Charles, Suzanne (Waterbury,
CN), Helen (Hume, Duante, CA) and Regina Barrack, who
died at the age of three.
In 1938 the family decided to leave the grocery business
and Charles John retired. He died on June 6, 1947. Murphy
decided to concentrate on the automobile agency, Southern
Motor Company. They had begun selling automobiles in 1918.
Over the years Murphy built the agency into one of Trinidad's
most successful businesses. In 1948 Murphy retired and
sold the business to his sons Roger and Charles. They
successfully expanded the business and were in operation
until 1971, when they decided to sell and pursue other
activities.
Charles Murphy Barrack graduated from Holy Trinity in
1936 and the University of Notre Dame in 1940. He married
Vivienne Nicholas of Enid, Oklahoma in 1941. In 1942 Charles
joined the USA Army and served with the 81st Infantry
Division rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Charles
saw duty in the South Pacific during World War II and
at the time of his discharge in 1945 was part of the occupation
force in Japan. After the war Charles and Vivienne returned
to Trinidad to raise a family and become part of the community.
Charles served in the community in a number of capacities:
Commander of the local V.F.W.Post and President of the
Trinidad City's Planning and Zoning Commission and became
Chairman of the Board of the Trinidad Development Institute,
the forerunner of today's economic development organization.
Charles also served on Trinidad's City Council from 1975-
1977. Vivienne Nicholas Barrack also served her adopted
Community in a number of capacities. She was president
of the Mt. Carmel Home & School Association. She produced
and directed several musicals which took advantage of
the talents of the local parishioners. Vivienne served
as president of the Hospital Auxiliary and was on the
first Board of Directors of the new Mt. San Raphael hospital.
She also was the first woman to serve on the Las Animas
County Planning Commission.
Charles and Vivienne have three children - Miriam (Zappanti
of Trinidad), Carol (Emery, of Denver) and David (of Trinidad).
They have five grandchildren. Brian, Mark and John (Zappanti)
and Carrie Ann and Rex (Emery). Miriam is employed as
the Lead Instructor of Trinidad State Junior College G.E.D.
program, and assists her husband Jim in his electrical
and consulting business, Electro Tech Enterprise. Carol
is a homemaker and substitute teacher. Her husband Bruce
is a teacher in the Jefferson County School District.
David is the owner of Barrack Real Estate, a real estate
brokerage and consulting business.
(Note:
if you have Photos of this family or know of anyone that
does, please have them get in touch with us so that we
might share some photos of the family here)